Two militants holed up at Samboora village in Pulwama managed to escape on Thursday night after an encounter broke out between security forces and militants. Two armymen and a militant were killed.

On Thursday evening, police had claimed that three militants were in the cordoned-off area. However, as the operation was under way, some youths threw stones at the police and the Army personnel that allowed militants an escape route, said local residents.

The encounter was called off on Friday morning. The Army, meanwhile, paid tributes to the two soldiers killed in the encounter.

According to the Army, Sepoy Suraj Singh Topal, 25, hailed from Falota village in Chamoli district of Uttarakhand and joined the force in 2012. He is survived by his parents and two sisters.

Signalman Kushwah Pradeep Singh (22) joined the Army in 2013. He is survived by his parents and a brother.